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1 History

The settlement was founded as Munichen in 1158 by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, and half a century later it was granted city status and fortified. Initially, bishop Otto von Freising ( Freising) and Henry quarreled about the city before the emperor at a Reichstag held in Augsburg. In 1180, with the trial of Henry the Lion, Otto of Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria. His Wittelsbach dynasty would rule Bavaria until 1918. In 1255Events Konigsberg was founded Births Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) 1255., the dukedom of Bavaria was cut in two, and Munich became the residence of Upper Bavaria.

In 1327Events January 25 Edward III becomes King of England. beginning of reign of Alfonso IV of Aragon. Petrarch sees a woman he names Laura in the church of Sainte-Claire d'Avignon, which awakes in him a lasting passion. He writes a series of poems dedicated t, the entire city was destroyed by fire but was successfully rebuilt some years later by Louis IVLouis IV of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach, born 1282, was duke of Bavaria from 1294, duke of the Palatinate from 1329 and, after 1314, Holy Roman Emperor. Louis died on October 11, 1347. Louis was the son of Louis II, Duke of Upper Bavaria, who was, the ruling Holy Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. The terminology of the title is somewhat confusing. The title of of the time. In 1632See also: 1632 (novel Events February 22 Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published July 23 300 colonists for New France depart Dieppe. November 16 Battle of Lutzen Christina becomes queen of Sweden; five regents, headed by Axe the city was brought under the control of Gustav II Adolph of Sweden during the Thirty Years' WarGustavus Adolphus at the Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)The Thirty Years' War was a conflict fought between the years 1618 and 1648, principally in the central European territory of the Holy Roman Empire, but also involving most of the major continental powe, but in 1705 it was recaptured and brought under Habsburg rule. The city's first academic institution, the Bavarian Academy of Sciences , was founded in 1759.

By this time, the city was growing very quickly and was one of the largest cities in mainland Europe. In 1806, it became the capital of the Bavarian monarchical state, with the state's parliament (the Landtag) sitting in the city along with the new archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Twenty years later another prestigious educational institution, the Landshut University , also based itself in Munich.

Many of the city's finest buildings belong to this period, all of which come under the Maximilian style of architecture, named after the reigning king of the day, Maximilian II. These buildings include the Ludwigstraße, the Ruhmeshalle, and the Königsplatz built by architects Leo von Klenze and Friedrich von Gärtner , and the "Bavaria" statue, built by Schwanthaler .

In 1882 electric lighting was introduced to Munich, and the city hosted Germany's first exhibition of electricity. Nineteen years later the Hellabrunn Zoo opened in the city. After World War I, the city was at the center of much unrest. In November 1918, Communists took power establishing the Munich Soviet Republic ( Münchner Räterepublik) which was put down on May 3 1919 by the right wing Freikorps many of whom were later drawn to Adolf Hitler and National Socialism. In 1923 Hitler and his supporters, who then were concentrated in Munich, staged the Beer Hall Putsch, an attempt at overthrowing the Weimar Republic and gaining power for himself. The revolt was, however, a failure, resulting in Hitler's arrest and the crippling of the Nazi Party, which was virtually unknown outside Munich. However, the city would again become one of the strongholds of the Nazis, when they took power in Germany in 1933. Because of its importance the Nazis also called it Hauptstadt der Bewegung ("capital of the movement"), which indeed it was, with the headquarters of the NSDAP based there. Many Führerbauten ("Führer-buildings") were built around the Königsplatz, and some have survived to this day.

In 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed in the city, ceding the Sudetenland, previously a part of Czechoslovakia, to Germany. It was signed by representatives of Germany, Italy, France and Britain. A year later, in 1939, Georg Elser attempted, but failed, to assassinate Hitler with a bomb in Munich -- an event which could have changed the course of history.

Munich was the city where the White Rose (German: Die Weiße Rose), a group of students that formed a resistance movement from June 1942 to February 1943, was based. They were arrested following a distribution of leaflets in Munich University by Hans and Sophie Scholl.

The city was very heavily damaged during World War II but, after American occupation in 1945, it was rebuilt to a meticulous masterplan.

Munich was the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics, during which Israeli athletes were murdered by Palestinian terrorists (see Munich massacre).